Chinook Salmon

Where do these things live?

Habitat-
Chinook salmon have adapted to survive in both freshwater and
marine environments.The salmon are born in
shallow freshwater streams and venture downstream out into their
ocean environment.This movement occurs once
the fish have reached a larger, more mature stage in their life
(see growth/reproduction).
Once in the marine environment, Chinook can be found anywhere
from the surface zones to depths of well over 100 feet.
Typically, the salmon stay within 3-15 miles of the shoreline.After 3-5 years, the fish migrate back to their “birth
stream” to spawn and eventually expire.

Range-The Chinook has modified its
lifestyle to live in a variety of watery habitats around the
globe.Naturally, the fish occupies the
Pacific coasts from San Francisco
on north to the Bering Strait.On the other side of the pond, Chinook inhabit the coasts
from Japan
to the Bering Strait.While these are the primary waters for the ocean dweller,
Chinook have been found populating various streams off the
Arctic coasts of northern Russia
and Canada.

While the fish has a rather vast natural range, the
organism has been introduced by humans to other aquatic regions
around the world. One of the most successful and perhaps unique
areas for the fish to adapt to is the Great
lakes. Up until more recently, 90% of the biota of
the Great Lakes was alewives.
To solve this epidemic, humans introduced the salmon to the
lakes in the late 60’s. Needless to say the salmon flourished
and the alewives population is now at a more manageable level.
Chinook have also been exposed to streams in
New Zealand and have seen
similar success. From this it is thought that some of the
salmon have made their way over to
Patagonia
by some means of transportation or simple means of exploration
of the new territory.